Boston Spaceships, 'The Planets Are Blasted' (Guided by Voices Inc.)

The point of forming a band is to capture an alchemy that's greater than the individual elements, but exGuided by Voices singer Robert Pollard's latest "group" -- featuring guitarist-bassist Chris Slusarenko and Elliott Smith drummer John Moen -- stirs up no such magic. Instead, their second album is a limp, loose affiliation of trebly guitar riffs, independently minded drums, and Pollard's echoing stream-of-conscious- ness vocals. "Catherine From Mid October" hits on a sweet melody, but Pollard desperately needs a producer who can flesh out and orchestrate his (very) rough sketches.